Life, Over Tea
by Megan le Fay
Summary: Tomoyo has tea with an old friend, and learns that happiness is found in many places. Shoujo ai, TomoyoNaoko.


Please tell me what you think of my story. It takes me a very long time to write anything. Well, I hope you like it!  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"Tea and a chat," Naoko had called it, holding her latest novel protectively. "Of course, Tomoyo, if you're busy, I understand. It's just...."  
  
Yes? An unspoken question, a little tilt of the head; Tomoyo smiled, just in case.  
  
"You look lonely, that's all." There it was again. The same statement, repeated so many times but always in the same way. It had been like this since Syaoran had returned; Sakura did her best to include Tomoyo, but some moments -- more and more, it seemed -- weren't meant to be shared between three people. So everyone else she knew had tried to become her new best friend, to distract her from her silent vigilence over Sakura, to bring her away from the one person she knew to be truly beautiful. Even her own mother, who had no right to speak on the subject, had said that perhaps it was time for her to back away and live her own life. But Tomoyo could not be fooled. Sakura-chan was what kept her together and whole.  
  
"Oh, Tomoyo, I hope you haven't taken that the wrong way," Naoko gasped, placing her hand before her mouth. " I only meant -- well, I haven't seen you in a while. There's so much to talk about. But maybe next week...."  
  
"No, Naoko-chan, I'm not busy today. I'd love to visit for tea." Tomoyo smiled again, more real this time. "I'm sorry if I'm being a little preoccupied. There's always so much going on."  
  
"Oh?" Naoko's head tilted up and her shoulders dropped as she returned the smile. "Then, see you!" She dropped her book as she walked away, and embarrassedly scooped it up, as Tomoyo watched her with a thoughtful expression.  
  
*******  
  
Twice so far Naoko had tried to begin a sentence. Tomoyo watched her fiddle with the pink-frosted cupcakes, arranging and rearranging them with no real purpose. "Ne, Tomoyo," Naoko started again, moving on to slowly rotating her teacup, "how has everything been going?"  
  
Tomoyo lifted her own teacup so that the steam began to condense on her face. What did Naoko want to hear? "Well...." She searched for a topic, any topic, to discuss. "My mother's been helping me try to start a clothing line."  
  
"Oh, really?" Naoko's eyes closed as she smiled. "I hope it goes well. But of course, I know it will. You have wonderful designs. Such cute things." Each short sentence was punctuated with a scrape as she turned the teacup with one finger.  
  
"Thank you. And you? What have you been up to?"  
  
Naoko blushed, not lifting her gaze from the gently sloshing liquid in the cup. "I sent a manuscript to a few publishers. No response yet, of course. But...." There was hopefulness, and a fondness for her story, in her answer. Tomoyo smiled too, just before Naoko glanced up at her face and then resettled on the tea.  
  
Silence spread from the tea table to the corners of Naoko's bedroom. Tomoyo realized she still held her teacup just in front of her chin, and closed her eyes, taking a sip. To her surprise, the drink was minty -- though she probably should have noticed by its scent.  
  
She heard a tiny sigh and the sound of Naoko's cup being lifted from its saucer. Sipping again, she opened her eyes just a fraction, so it would be unnoticeable, and peered at the other girl through her eyelashes.  
  
Naoko had stopped fussing for a moment; she sat still with her teacup posed halfway between the table and her lips, and she was gazing at Tomoyo with the most wistful look her face had ever shown. Startled, Tomoyo opened her eyes and looked down at the table, reaching for a cupcake and then slowly removing its paper wrapper.  
  
"So," she began, wanting to break the silence, uncomfortable, and not quite sure why, "you seem a little worried today, Naoko-chan. Is something wrong?" She put all the right stresses in all the right places to maintain the appearance that she was at ease, while picking crumbs from the bottom of the cupcake.  
  
"No, nothing's wrong," Naoko answered simply. Tomoyo's eyes flitted up for just a moment and she discovered that suddenly the set of Naoko's face had changed from timid to determined.  
  
"Naoko...."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"N-nothing," Tomoyo said in a half-giggle of unease. She couldn't place the reason for her discomfort; she was both nervous and anticipating something, though she couldn't think of what it was. Perhaps it was time for her to leave.  
  
Naoko stood up just as Tomoyo did. "Tomoyo-chan."  
  
"Oh, I'll just take care of this," Tomoyo said, smiling, as she clutched a napkin containing the cupcake remains. She had planned to turn, but before she could Naoko had caught hold of her arms, gently, unsurely.  
  
"Tomoyo, I -- maybe you've already guessed why I wanted to see you...."  
  
"Naoko-chan? I'm afraid I don't understan--." Widened eyes. A tiny gasp. A settling feeling of peace.  
  
The napkin fell -- pink icing smearing the table, the floor, and Tomoyo's leg -- unnoticed. 


End file.
